The engine failure on the Clontarf occurred on Monday night,and the vessel is now berthed next to another of the new second-generation Emerald-class ferries,the Balmoral,at the Balmain shipyards. The Clontarf’s engine will have to be replaced,which means it will be out of service for weeks.
The Clontarf is wet docked at the Balmain shipyards after suffering a catastrophic engine failure. James Brickwood
Former Sydney ferry master Chris Cowper said the Clontarf’s port engine suffered a catastrophic failure while the vessel was travelling about 20 knots during safety drills on the inner harbour.
“Apparently there was an almighty noise,and an incredible vibration after the engine failed,” he said. “They took it to the shipyard using the starboard engine.”
Four crew were on board at the time of the incident. No passengers were on the vessel.
Transdev,the operator of Sydney’s government-owned ferries,said it was working closely with the engine manufacturer Yanmar to “comprehensively investigate” the cause of the failure.
“The engine will need to be replaced. It is expected to take a couple of weeks before the Clontarf returns to service,” Transdev said in a statement.
The three new Manly ferries have been plagued with defects and steering failures since they entered service on the busy route in late 2021. Internal figures have shown that the three vessels suffered a between late 2021 and last November.
After a near the entrance to Sydney Harbour in November,the Fairlight was grounded at the Balmain shipyards – under orders preventing it from carrying passengers until defects were fixed – for weeks late last year.
Labor transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said it was clear the three Emerald-class ferries used on the Manly route had “serious system flaws” which could not be solved by regular repairs.
“Transport[for NSW] is already conducting an investigation into the root causes of the steering failures that have plagued these ferries. It must now be broadened to look at the other defects too,” she said.
Transport for NSW said it had liaised with Transdev about the Clontarf’s engine failure as a matter of urgency and had been assured that the operator had notified safety regulators. “Importantly,there will be no impact to commuter services,particularly the F1 Manly-Circular Quay services which are operating as per the regular timetable,” it said in a statement.
The agency said it received preliminary findings from an independent assurance review of the ferries,which resulted in Transdev making “some minor technical changes”. It was awaiting the final report after an “intensive trial period” of the mechanical changes.
The problems plaguing the three second-generation Emerald catamarans have reinforced concerns they cannot handle conditions on the Manly-Circular Quay route nearly as well as the they are meant to replace.
The Narrabeen has been mothballed while the Collaroy is slated for retirement this year,leaving just the Freshwater and the Queenscliff in operation.
Figures show an average of 15,900 trips a day were made on the Manly-Circular Quay route over the last two months,which is up 2 per cent on the busiest day in 2019 before the pandemic.
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